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1. Introduction: When and how to use The EIS Simulation
In today's complex business environment, organisations cannot avoid innovating, and implementing
change has become one of the key tasks of managers. On the other hand - as everybody who has
tried to introduce innovations and change in organisations knows by experience - managing change
processes and making new things happen is often a difficult, lengthy and sometimes frustrating
process. One has to expect resistance from those who think they might lose something (power,
influence, opportunities, control etc.), from those who simply do not understand the implications of
the proposed innovations, from those who lack trust in the "change agents", and from many other
sources of passive or active internal resistance.
This computer-based simulation aims at providing a flexible tool to experience - in a risk-free
environment - a change process and to stimulate productive group discussions on this subject. It is
particularly suited to:
•
Complement any training programme exposing managers to new concepts, techniques and
systems by helping them to understand the practical implications of implementing new ideas
(new management techniques, new accounting methods, new marketing strategies, new
communication styles, new work processes and reporting procedures etc.) in their working
environments and organisations. In this context, The EIS Simulation can be used at the end
of training programmes of different kinds to make managers aware of the difficulties they
might encounter in implementing the new ideas they have learned, and to discuss and develop
appropriate strategies.
•
Expose managers and employees in general to the dynamics of change processes in order to
stimulate a better understanding and a more positive attitude towards change.
•
Help managers, in specific training sessions, to become more efficient "change agents" and
to use Organisational Development initiatives appropriately.
•
Involve project teams appointed to implement major changes in an organisation (such as the
adoption of new information, communication or reporting systems) in an informed discussion
of problems they might encounter and in the development of appropriate implementation
strategies, whilst taking into consideration factors such as resistance to change, power
redistribution issues generated directly or indirectly by the proposed innovation, and
realistic resource planning for the change process.
This Trainer Manual provides information and suggestions on how to use The EIS Simulation to
achieve one or more of the objectives listed above. It also provides ideas for developing
transparencies, handouts and other material the trainer might use in the introductory session,
during the simulation, and in the debriefing session that follows the simulation, as well as a set of
literature references.
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